The first step that leads to building your dream Malibu home is to choose a good general contractor. Before you zero in on one, you should always do your research.

Background Check

Make sure from friends or acquaintances that the general contractor has the permit for working in Malibu. You could verify the license of your Malibu general contractor on the state website pertaining to licensing.

Ask for references from your general contractor – this is a good way to find out the credentials of the contractor. Ensure that the references are genuine and will be able to provide feedback on your Malibu general contractor’s quality of work.

If possible, talk to clients of the general contractor and even pay a visit to some of the Malibu custom homes he or she has built so that you get a good idea of the work history of the contractor.

Affiliations from recognized associations are no guarantee to excellent quality of work, but they are a good way to size up the general contractor, so do keep an eye on this detail.

Be Meticulous

Ask for all details in the contract including the work that needs to be done, timelines, budgets and even the description of the materials that will be used in the construction of your Malibu custom home.

Find out from the general contractor, details of his/her firm’s warranties and what their best practices are when it comes to safety of workers on the project site.

Communication and Trust

Make sure the lines of communication between you and your Malibu general contractor are open, so you can share your expectations about the project and the contractor can also offer feedback and suggestions on the same.

When it comes to money, do not pay any large sum even before the project takes off and work out a mutually beneficial way of handling the payments. Down payment needs to be limited to less than ten per cent, just enough to ensure there is delivery of supplies and construction materials. Do not trust contractors who offer unusually heavy discounts only to show up with shoddy work at a later stage.

Quotation

Getting a good quote with all the details is crucial and never make payments or offer to sign on a contractor without at least a couple of quotes. Talk to other Malibu general contractors, and then decide, based on cost, quality and credentials.